Projects

The Friends, in partnership with the Parochial Church Council, is committed to bringing new life and purpose to Ross-on-Wye’s oldest and most important building.

St Mary’s Church, often described as the jewel in the Ross crown, is already a lively centre for Christian worship. Work is ongoing to make much more of an accessible centre for the whole community.

Repairs to the tower and Spire 2007

One of the first tasks faced by the Friends at its inception was to help to raise £200,000 for essential work to repair the tower and spire. £100,000 was contributed, much of it through grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the National Churches Trust, Herefordshire Historic Churches Trust, and other charities, and the work was completed in 2010.

New boiler house 2009

The majority of the fundraising for the task of replacing the ramshackle corrugated iron construction that once was the boiler house with the present stone one was undertaken by the Friends.

Information for visitors 2009

Our welcome to visitors was improved by revising and re-branding information leaflets as well as installing a number of information panels around the building highlighting key features.

Switching of windows in the north aisle 2016

The glass in two windows at the back of the north aisle was switched as part of the phase 1 work on reordering. This has meant that the stained glass once a part of the Baptistry is now visible now that the new toilets have obscured that window. The Friends funded this project at a cost of £10,000

Reordering 2017 – 2019

The PCC is improving the facilities within the church with a major reordering; installing toilets, a kitchen and children’s room, making the seating flexible and more comfortable and making the whole building more accessible. The Friends has so far contributed £35,000 to support the PCC in the reordering project as well as improvement work on the lighting in the church. You can find out all about reordering the building on the reordering website.

Church floodlighting 2019

The floodlights currently in use were last upgraded in 2011 by Ross-on-Wye Town Council but are now failing. The sodium lamps are no no longer available and costly to run. We hope to be able to replace the current lights with LED lamps in the very near future. This is a golden opportunity to improve the overall effect and to save the Town Council up to 70% on the running costs.